


A Different Interview

by Shadowpuff



Series: Possibilities [3]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Kara, Gen, Kara has an Accent, Kryptonian Culture, Kryptonian History
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 09:07:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10806078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowpuff/pseuds/Shadowpuff
Summary: Kara is 13 when Krypton was destroyed. She remembers her culture, her religion, her history. She remembers social norms and things expected of her. Kara should have remembered Krypton more clearly than they portrayed her.





	A Different Interview

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Possibilities  
> Chapter Title: A Different Interview  
> Fandom: Supergirl (Elements of Lois and Clark, Superman Unbound, New 52 Supergirl, Supergirl 1984, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse)  
> Characters: Kara, Cat  
> Rant: Kara is 13 when Krypton was destroyed. She remembers her culture, her religion, her history. She remembers social norms and things expected of her. Kara should have remembered Krypton more clearly than they portrayed her.   
> Mini-Summary: Cat Grant expected a younger female version of Superman. She expected an uncertain young girl. What she got instead was not only a Kryptonian that remembered her home but a woman older than anyone expected.  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Supergirl   
> Note* I like making Kara tall.

Kara hovered in front of Cat Grant, watching the biologically older woman climb out of her car, the driver staying where he was, hands tight on the steering wheel. Cat smirked at Supergirl, on hand in her coat pocket, the other on the frame of the car door. Kara looked down at her, trying to keep her body as straight as possible.

She was scared.

Scared she was going to be discovered.

Scared she wasn’t going to measure up to what the people of Earth saw the S symbol meant.

And, honestly, she knew she didn’t.

But… maybe that was the problem… She was trying to measure up to the expectations of humans. What they saw when they looked at the ‘S’ symbol isn’t what it meant. It was what Ka- Clark portrayed it as, but…

It didn’t have to be what she was to be.

She was Kara Zor-El, heir- no- Head of the House of El, the highest house of Krypton, selected to serve on the Council of The System of Planets. She was called High Lord by Krypton’s allies, Queen - an insult - by their enemies. Here and now she wasn’t Kara Danvers. She wasn’t playing pretend.

She was Kryptonian.

“It’s you,” Cat said with a slight smirk, her body taking an arrogant stand. She then moved away from the car, “Oh, no. I’m sorry. I meant to say, ‘Who are you?’”

Kara narrowed her eyes at Cat. She knew that stand. This was Cat saying she ‘expected’ this to happen. All because she was Cat Grant. And the inflection at the end of the sentence was meant to be condescending.

Kara opened her mouth, only to realize that the older woman could recognize her voice and her speech patterns. She couldn’t talk like Kara Danvers…

Kara could remember a few months after she arrived on the planet, as she was taught English by Jerimiah. She struggled with the pronunciations and she had an accent for years. And she could still remember how she had pronounced the words back then.

“According to you, I’m Supergirl,” Kara told her.

Cat frowned slightly, obviously mulling over the words.

“Trademark pending,” Cat said as she pulled out her phone, “I must say, I didn’t expect the accent.”

Kara scoffed, “Obviously. However, I know that is not what you meant when you asked me my name.”

Cat hesitated before nodding, “True. I hope you don’t mind if I record this?”

Kara shook her head.

Cat breathed a sigh of relief. Kara knows she through the woman off when she applied her accent. Kara hesitated but decided to land right in front of the woman. Cat took a step back, obviously not having expected the high difference. Both women were wearing high heels, but Kara still towered over the woman by half a head.

“Right. So, the same question. Who are you?” Cat asked, holding the phone between them.

Kara hesitated again, before making up her mind completely.

She was going to be honest.

“My name is Kara Zor-El (Carezorrel),” Kara said, pronouncing it how a Kryptonian would have pronounced it, “I am Head of the House of El.”

Cat looked like she was both excited and struggling with the information, “Give me a moment please.” Cat placed her phone on the car bonnet before going back inside the car, grabbing a small notebook and pen from her bag.

“Can you spell your name?” Cat asked, ready to write it down.

But Kara knew she couldn’t, not without revealing herself. Thus, she shook her head, and - still telling the truth – told her why, “It does not translate well.”

“Surely you’ve had to write you name before?” Cat asked with a frown.

Kara smiled slightly. “I can write it in Kryptonese,” Kara told her, before taking the notepad, and - with her left hand - wrote her name.

Kara Zor-El (Kara Zor-El)

“What does that mean?” Cat said, coming to stand next to Kara, who was leaning over the bonnet of the car.

“This part (Kara bracket ‘Kara’) is the Old Tongue for ‘Peaceful’,” Kara said, writing the word beneath her name, “This (Kara circled ‘Zor’) is the Old Tongue for ‘Kings’. And this (Kara boxed ‘El’) is my House name that means ‘Star’.”

“So your name means Peaceful Kings Star?” Cat asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No,” Kara told her. “Since I’m not joined - married - I still have my Father’s name. This is then placed last. It’s… ” Kara wrote beneath ‘The Peaceful Star of Kings’ “…this.”

Cat stared at the words like they were gold. She then turned to Kara, the excited look back on her face.

“I assume that your ‘House Name’ is the same as our Surnames,” Cat said more than asked.

“Almost,” Kara said, “It’s like a mix between surname and country of origin.”

“I see,” Cat said, taking the pen from Kara’s hand and writing ‘Surname/COO’ beneath Kara’s block letters. She then looked back to Kara.

“Am I right to say you’re from Krypton?” Cat asked.

“Yes,” Kara asked.

“But you're younger then Superman and he told us he escaped just as the planet was destroyed,” Cat pressed.

“Yes. We left at the same time…I was thirteen of your Sol-3 years,” Kara told her.

“Sol-3?”

“Earth,” Kara corrected before smiling, “You did not think that other races called your home Earth did you?”

“I guess part of me did,” Cat admitted, before going back to her point, “So you're actually older than Superman.”

“Yes,” Kara nodded, moving her cape out of the way and sitting on the bonnet of the car, “I was also an ‘Adult’ for two of your years, having finished my ‘General Education’ a year early.”

“General Education?” Cat asked, making a few more notes, having forgotten about her phone that was still recording them, “Is that like primary school here?”

“More like High School,” Kara told her, “But more.”

“More information,” Cat asked.

Kara shook her head, “Something like that. Krypton is - was - leaps ahead of earth. We knew more than you on many subjects.”

“So you’re saying you were smarter?” Cat asked, the trap obvious.

“Yes,” Kara told her, purposely and honestly.

Cat looked surprised at the blunt answer, only to get a wicked look in her eyes.

“Does that mean you think human are stupid?” Cat asked.

“No,” Kara said, “There are many subjects, like computer programming that we know nothing about. We had other species do things we either didn’t want to or didn’t know how. You also have to remember that our terms for things are different. I don’t know any of your chemical elements and your slang made school difficult. Your history was new, your geography. Your technology is behind, yes, we had solid holograms since before I was born, but your art against ours. It’s… incomparable. You quickly learn that what and how one understands the universe is the only thing you can compare between different species.”

“You’re talking about culture,” Cat realized.

“Culture, history, government, art, media, language. You can’t really compare these things. You can learn about them, but that’s it.” Kara told her.

“Are you willing to?” Cat asked, “To tell us about your world I mean.”

Kara hesitated. It’s been years. When last did she pray to Rao? When last did she dance at the Festival of Light? Practiced her religious and scientific ceremonies? When last did she practice her Ro-Yu ‘martial arts’?

“As long as we agree on the topic beforehand,” Kara told her, “I can write some things down, your written language is much easier than your spoken and you can ask me questions to explain or understand a point.”

“Yes,” Cat agreed, still having problems understanding Kara, “That will be better.”

“Any other questions?” Kara asked her.

“Hm?” Cat made as she was jotting down several topics she wanted to ask about in future interviews, “Oh, yes. Now I understand you have all the same powers Superman has.”

“Yes,” Kara said, looking away. She wasn’t as proficient as Kal, but she wasn’t going to admit it.

“You seem to still have problems with them,” Cat said.

“I never had cause to use them,” Kara told her.

Cat frowned, “Never had cause? What about the earthquakes that happened 2 years ago, or the fires last September? What about them?”

Kara frowned, ready to defend herself, but words - old words - came to her: “A quick defense is seen as proof of guilt.” Kara breathed deeply.

“Do you expect every alien to act as your saviour?” Kara asked.

“I’m sorry?” Cat asked, taken aback.

“I was not sent to this planet to be your saviour. I, nor my little cousin, were supposed to be on this planet. We landed here because of damage to our systems. Us, using our abilities to help people isn’t a duty or a must Ms. Grant. It… it’s like your volunteers. It’s is our choice to do this, nothing else,” Kara told her.

“That doesn’t sound very heroic,” Cat told her.

“No, perhaps not, but I’m not doing this to be a hero,” Kara told her. And she realized it was the truth. She didn’t do this to be a hero, she did what she did to help people because it was the right thing to do. She didn’t want what happened to Krypton to happen to Earth.

“I see,” Cat said, before getting a strange glint in her eyes, “Did you say little cousin? Superman is your cousin?”

Kara cursed herself in her head. She didn’t mean to reveal that.

“Yes. I was 12 of our years when he was born,” Kara admitted, deciding to stand her ground.

“But he’s older than you,” Cat said, coming back to a previous question. One Kara had tried to avoid.

Kara swallowed. She had hoped that Krypton’s destruction wouldn’t come up, but that was just wishful thinking, “We escaped at the last minute. K - Superman’s ship was launched first. Mine was… delayed and I breached our atmosphere just as the planet imploded on itself. My ship was caught in the aftershock and ended up in the Phantom Zone, a pocket dimension where criminals are sent to. Time there is … frozen in a way. I escaped just over a decade ago.”

“Were you awake?” Cat asked, looking like she had no intention of asking the question, but it just came out.

“I…,” Kara jumped off the car, walking to the edge of the cliff. She looked up at the stars, clearer to her than to humans, “Sometimes I was. I would wake periodically before the ship's sensors would put me back to sleep. It was the last time that I was able to disconnect that feature. Realizing where I was, I searched for a way out… I was lucky I did. Not many planets have Gates to the Phantom Zone… Once I was out my ship reconnected with Ka- Superman’s and I landed on Earth.”

“I…” Cat swallowed, centering herself again, “So you didn’t know the planet was on it’s way to destruction?”

Kara laughed humourlessly. It was hollow and cold, “We knew… We knew for months. I remember the fear, remember children crying and screaming…Volcanos. Water rising from beneath the surface, flooding cities. Earthquakes… one time there was actually a large part of the planet that broke off and floated into space. They were still broadcasting images… everyone saw how these people suffocated once their section left our atmosphere… We all knew.”

“Then why. Why is it only you and Superman?” Cat asked.

“Our leaders, the High Council… they refused to admit we caused our own destruction… My father and Uncle tried everything. They even went behind the Council’s back to reactivate our flying cities, but the Council found out. They sabotaged the Interstellar Engines. My father was able to figure out a way to send them into Inner space, but I never found out if they made it. The portal accelerated our destruction. We didn’t have time to get onto the ships and the Council sent the military after us. They…” Kara breathed deeply, remembering her mother fighting and killing the soldiers. Remembers herself- “We barely escaped.”

“If you were never supposed to come to earth, why stay?” Cat asked her. Kara turned back to her, walking the short distance back.

“Kal Jor-El (Caljjorrel) was a baby. He never knew anything about his home world. By the time he did, Earth was more his home than anything. As for me… I first tried to convince him to leave. I did actually escape the earth for a while, but… things happened and Superman dragged me back. I recovered, I grieved and by the time I can honestly say I was better I was already halfway through your university,” Kara told her honestly.

“You left earth-”

“I refuse to talk about that,” Kara said, her voice hard. Kal knew. He knew what happened, but Kara never told anyone else. She refuses, she refuses(!) to give Darkside anymore thought than necessary.

Cat took a small step back, surprised by the firmness in Kara’s voice, “I don’t suppose I can convince you otherwise.”

“No. Now. If there are no more questions,” Kara said, pushing from the ground and hovering in the air again.

“Only one. Other than Supergirl. What can I call you?” Cat asked.

“…If I was still on Krypton, my title would have been Bythgr-El. The closest translation would be Lady El,” Kara told her.

“Lady?” Cat asked.

“While normally we do not use gender-specific terms, we still have them,” Kara told her ignoring the real question, “Goodnight Ms. Grant.”

Kara flew off, ignoring as Cat shouted more questions at her. Alex was going to kill her for doing the interview. But, this wasn’t Alex’s decision. She would need to send a message to Kal- Clark to tell him she accidentally outed her relation, but first…

She needs to talk to the hologram of her mother, it was time to regain her culture.

**Author's Note:**

> The interview always bothered me. With Supergirl remembering her time on Krypton they could have done so much, revealed information about Krypton, but they didn’t. It always bothered me they made Kara so human. She remembered Krypton, she could at least act like one a bit, even if it was just as Supergirl.  
> I intended to write Kara’s words the way she said them, but that was too much work. Here are some examples of how she talks:  
> Ac-orrd’en tto yu, Irm Zupergurl - According to you, I’m Supergirl  
> Ovris-Ly. Hozevr, Iiz kno zat iz noot whaz yu mént wen yu azk-d mi me nym - Obviously. However, I know that is not what you meant when you asked me my name  
> Me nym iz Kara Zor-El (Carezorrel). Iiz ám Héd ov de Hôzeh ov El - My name is Kara Zor-El. I am Head of the House of El  
> Yez. Wee levt at de zame tym… Iis waz fer-teen ov yur Sol-3 yérz - Yes. We left at the same time…I was thirteen of your Sol-3 years.  
> Yu ded noot finc zat o-fer ryz-s kaal-d yur houm ‘E-arf’ ded yu? - You did not think that other races called your home Earth did you?  
> Krypton iz - waz - leepz a-héd ov E-arf. Wee kew moor zen yu on meni sub-jektz. - Krypton is - was - leaps ahead of earth. We knew more than you on many subjects  
> Terms:   
> Culture:  
> Krypton has a class system corresponding with the Houses. The Higher your House, the more power you have. Alliances are made between Houses. The Heir of the House is usually married to a civilian in Servitude to the house. Rarely are they married to another house. It only happened when the House has risen in society suddenly and an Alliance needs to be made.   
> Krypton is a mixture of a scientific community and a religious one. Everyone believes in the same gods.  
> Education:  
> Due to increase mental abilities, children learn general information between the ages of 7 and 12. (*This amount of information greatly surpasses that taught on Earth. A 12-year-old would greatly be able to out-think a human finishing University)  
> After General Education is completed, the Kryptonian started their First Craft, also called their Family Craft or House Craft. Very few Kryptonians choose their First Craft to be different from their House Craft. Those who do are considered Traitors or Betrayers of their House. These Kryptonians are usually shunned by society. Only regaining their Honour if they rise high in their Craft.  
> A Secondary Craft is expected but not a cultural must. A Secondary Craft can be anything. If the House they Apprentice under believe their abilities in their Secondary Craft can outshine their abilities in their First Craft, they will speak to the Kryptonian’s House. If the House decides to listen, the Kryptonian will be given tests. Only if they show affinity to their Secondary Craft, will they be allowed to choose that as their Chosen Craft.  
> Some Kryptonians take on a Third and/or Fourth Craft. Again, if an affinity of one of these is found, they would be tested.  
> If the Original House refuses to administer the tests, the others House can go before the Court and present their case.  
> Kara’s Past:  
> Like in chapter 2, Kara is taken by Darkside, but she recovers better. She is there only for a week or so and was mainly brainwashed. She retained her peppy attitude and general happiness, still wanting to be a hero.


End file.
